


Why Did I Drink That?

by NotSoSilentSuicide



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:13:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7651336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSoSilentSuicide/pseuds/NotSoSilentSuicide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You didn't drink the champagne, did you?" asked Waverly, fear and panic evident in her voice. Nicole wanted to lie, wanted to put her mind at ease, but she couldn't.</p><p>"I... Yes, I did." admitted Nicole in a mere whisper"</p><p>or</p><p>slight AU where Nicole, does in fact, drink the champagne, and the aftermath</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You didn't drink that, did you?

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm probably the only one, but I was wondering what would have happened if Nicole did drink the champagne. This takes place a little bit in House of Memories, but will cross over into I Walk The Line.

 

The smell of peaches filled Nicole's nose as she grasped her glass of champagne with a grip tight enough to turn her knuckles white. It was to her astonishment that there weren't shards of glass littering around her feet. Waverly's ex- _boy man_ refused to leave the officer's side while spewing vile words at her. The scowl that was marring her features seemed to be permanent for the time being.

"You just swooped in on my girl!" slurred a heavily intoxicated Champ as he tossed back another glass of the champagne.

"Keep your voice down." grumbled Nicole angrily, her patience for the boy man dwindling. "Waverly doesn't belong to anyone."

"Blah, blah, feminism, blah..." he mocked as he ascended the staircase, where a dumbstruck Waverly stood, watching the scene play out.

Nicole frowned at the emotions swirling deep in her... girlfriend? Was that what they were? They never discussed it, what with it being a sensitive topic and all, and Nicole would be damned if she said the wrong thing that sent Waverly running from her. She frowned at the emotions swirling deep in _Waverly's_ eyes. With a heavy sigh, Nicole downed the champagne in one go, and followed the stumbling Champ up the stairs.

Not that she really cared if he fell or not, but she imagined that Waverly wouldn't want any harm coming to her ex-boyfriend. That's what Nicole loved most about the other woman: her sincere kindness that seemed to roll off of her in waves (pun intended). The officer watched with a bated breath as Champ slurred at her boss. Nicole would like to think that the sheriff cared about her to _some_ extent, but Purgatory was a small town, and if Champ was anything to go by, it was filled with even smaller minded people.

"Have you taken anything other than the champagne, Champ?" questioned Waverly, her eyebrows raising suspiciously. Nicole would have found the simple act hot, but her mind was beginning to grow fuzzy, and she had to blink rapidly.

Now, Nicole wasn't much of a drinker like those Earps, but she likes to think that she can handle her alcohol, so it was perplexing to her that she was already feeling a buzz after one glass. She furrowed her brows while rubbing her temples in hopes of easing her mind. She didn't hear much else of the conversation, but the second Champ advanced on Waverly, Nicole surged forward. Her fist collided nicely with his jaw, and he went down for the count.

After she whipped out her handcuffs that she was suddenly thankful that she brought, and cuffed Champ, Nicole chanced a glance up at Waverly, afraid of the expression she'd find so evident there. What shocked her was the impressed look that was being shot her way, and was that... _arousal?_ Nope, no, Nicole killed the blossoming hope that was threatening to grow inside her chest. So with a final smile, the officer dragged Champ away as Waverly went in search of her sisters, Wynonna and the dickhead... _Willa_.

...

The silence that followed Bobo's revelation was short-lived, and soon there was an all-out riot. Thoughts of joining in crossed Nicole's mind, but she squashed the thought quicker than she thought of it. Wynonna was her friend, a good drinking buddy, and Waverly's sister. They'd never forgive her if she did something stupid for an antidote. Hell, Nicole would never forgive herself.

Champ was gagging and foaming at the mouth, and the sight nearly made her vomit too. Her head was pounding violently, and she slackened her grip on his forearm as he crashed to the floor. She grasped her head tightly, wishing against anything that it would cease its pounding for one _frickin'_ minute! God, she sounded like Waverly... Speaking of that glorious angel, she was quickly approaching the redhead with Willa in tow.

"Nicole, come with me." she demanded with a tone that said there was no room for an argument.

"Sorry, Waves, but Champ's right, you're dating a cop now, and I go where the danger goes." countered Nicole in a voice that she hoped sounded even enough, but Waverly wouldn't be Waverly if she didn't sense something amiss from a mile away.

"You didn't drink the champagne, did you?" asked Waverly, fear and panic evident in her voice. Nicole wanted to lie, wanted to put her mind at ease, but she couldn't.

"I... Yes, I did." admitted Nicole in a mere whisper before a flash of pain shot through her head to the back of her eyes. Her hands flew to rub at her watery eyes, and a whimper escaped her lips.

"Nicole!" yelped Waverly, soft hands grabbing her face in an attempt to soothe the agony flowing through her head. "We need to get you out of here... Willa, come hel- Willa?"

"What I need is Wynonna!" snapped Nicole before she could stop herself. Her eyes flew open to see the shocked look on the brunette's face. "You go find Willa, and get Wynonna out of here... Don't tell me where you're going, but please, be safe."

There were tears in Waverly's eyes, but she surged up on her tip-toes, and planted a kiss firmly onto Nicole's lips. The officer gripped the other woman's arm, and poured everything she couldn't say into the kiss, hoping against everything else that Waverly would understand that even if they don't find the antidote, that Nicole didn't regret a single second of coming to Purgatory, and she wouldn't change anything... Well, if she could go back in time and stop her dumbass from consuming the champagne, she'd certainly change that.

"I'll find the cure, I swear!" promised Waverly in a wobbly voice. Nicole leaned her forehead against hers, and gave her a sweet smile, dimples and all.

"I know."

"I'll save you."

"Oh, Waverly," chuckled Nicole in a breathless whisper, "You already have."

Nicole kissed her passionately, but chastely, and shooed her away, pleading to any god that was listening that this wasn't the last time she'd ever see her.


	2. A slow fall, but a quick descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole thinks back to the memories that led her to loving Waverly

Nicole couldn't take the suffocating tightness that coiled deep inside her chest, and what made it worse were the groans, gasps, and whimpers of the other poisoned people. The sour smell of vomit along with the smell of blood made her stomach churn and heave. With a hand firmly clasped over her mouth, Nicole hightailed it out of the building, and spit up the contents of her nearly empty stomach. Tears blurred her vision as she dropped to her knees as she heaved some more.

When she felt confident enough that she wouldn't throw up again, Nicole hoisted herself to her feet, not giving a second thought to the dirt that stained the end of her beautiful dress. She didn't care about it, all she wanted was Waverly, but Nicole purposefully sent her away. She didn't trust herself around the Earps at the moment, and nothing filled her with more shame than that.

Nicole decided to give up on going back into the "party" in favor of going home and changing out of the dress that was feeling too tight all of a sudden. As she stumbled down the deserted street, she let her mind wander to a certain brunette that wormed her way into her heart.

 

 _Officer Haught stood outside of Shorty's in a daze. She was leaning against the outside wall with her stetson turning in her hands as she thought about her encounter with one pretty bartender. She couldn't keep the megawatt grin off her face as she replayed it over and over again. However, one part always dimmed her smile: the_ boy man _._ _Nicole was aware that she was acting childishly, being mad at a boy who was there before she was, but she couldn't help it._

_The redhead meant what she said inside Shorty's when she said she's been there, and she meant it a great deal more when she said it was the worst. It's been years since she admitted her sexuality to herself, and if she were being honest, there were signs that said she was gay before she herself even knew, so when her parents gave her that knowing smirk of theirs, she knew it was obvious to everyone but herself._

_That being said, she's had a few girlfriends in her life, and quite a few flings with girls, but none of them made her heart pound as hard and as quick as one Waverly Earp, and it only took the brunette a short few minutes to do it. So when Waverly quickly said that she had a "boy man", Nicole felt disappointment spreading through her chest. However, by the look on the younger woman's face, the officer knew something occurred to Waverly, and it was something she experienced long ago... It was the horrifying realization of "Oh shit, I'm not as straight as I thought!"_

_So Nicole decided to leave the poor girl to it, and offered up some space, but did put it out there that she was looking forward to a second meeting. If the slow smile that Waverly gave her meant anything, it was that she definitely agreed._

 

A lazy smile donned her face as she struggled to walk. Her smile faded as another wave of pain sent her to her hands and knees. She dug her hand into her abdomen, hoping it would alleviate some of the twisting pressure that settled like a rock in her gut. Some of the townspeople had followed her lead to run away from the very building that held so much regret and agony. They were either running while shouting, "Wynonna!" or "I knew that bitch would be the end of us!", and it was sending jolts and spasms throughout her body, but she wasn't about to let anyone badmouth Wynonna... Even if this was all her fault.  _No!_ Nicole forcefully pushed the bad thoughts away. It was all Bobo del Rey's fault.

"Don't you dare blame this on Wynonna." Nicole rasped out.

The man who called Wynonna a bitch whirled around, ready to snarl out something fierce to whoever thought differently about the Earp, but he paused when his eyes spotted the weak slump of Haught. Nicole didn't blame him, she felt like crap, so she imagined that she looked it as well. She felt clammy and sweaty, and she could feel the bits of vomit on her chin. Although, he didn't look much better with claw marks surrounding his eyes.

"Whatever, man... You might die because of her, but I won't... I'm gonna get her." he swore before twitching his way down the street in the direction of the Homestead.

Nicole cursed loudly, and forced herself to continue her way to her apartment to change and hopefully come up with some idea of what to do. With a hand on her stomach (as if to keep her insides to stay inside of her, and not splaying across the sidewalk) the officer blatantly ignored everyone else as she thought back to when Deputy Marshal Dolls ordered her to make the phone call to Waverly to inform her that Shorty, Wynonna, and Champ were in a hostage situation.

 

_Nicole anxiously twirled Deputy Marshal Dolls' phone in her hands, unsure of what to say. There was nothing she could really say that would lessen the blow she would receive at finding out something so terrible. So with a huge sigh of remorse, Nicole found Waverly's number (Earp #2), and hit the talk button. It rang once, twice, and Nicole was silently pleading that she wouldn't even answer. Someone above must've answered her because the peppy voice of Waverly rang in her ear._

_"Sorry I missed your call, but leave a message and I'll get right back to you! Have a nice day! Unless you're Wynonna, who drank all my bubblegum sake even though you said it was disgusting!"_

_Nicole chuckled, and muttered, "Of course your voicemail is as adorable as you are."_

_It then struck her as soon as she said those words that she heard a beep before she said them. Her mouth fell open as color filled her cheeks. Now, she wasn't so sure that getting the voicemail was anything lucky. Nicole flailed her arms wildly, panic setting into her heart as she struggled to come up with something to say that could diffuse the tension it would be sure to bring._

_"Waverly! Heh... It's Nic- Officer Haught! You must be wondering why it's me on the line and not Deputy Marshal Dolls. Well, he's kinda tied up right now along with Sheriff Nedly at the moment." said Nicole, cringing at her own stutters, but breathing in deep, steeling herself to unload such a burden onto the younger woman._

_"Actually, that's kinda why I called you... There's no easy way to say this, but your sister, Shorty, and your... Champ are currently being held hostage. Now before you panic! We are doing everything we can to help them. I give you my word that I'll do my best to see to it that Wynonna and Shorty don't come into harms way." she promised. As an afterthought, she added, "And Champ! Yeah, I won't let him get hurt either."_

_Now Nicole might not like the guy, but she certainly doesn't wish any ill doings on him. Was he a douche? Yes. Did he deserve Waverly? Hell no! Did Nicole want Waverly to see that she was owed the world and some? Yes. Was Hardy Champ going to give that to her? No..._ Wait, were was I going with this? _Nicole eventually gave up on trying to find the point she was trying to make._

_"Look, Waves... Waverly, I can only imagine what this feels like, but if you need someone to talk to, you have my number. I distinctly remember leaving it with you, so just give me a call any time. We'll all see you soon."_

_With that done, she hung up while berating herself. She said nothing more as she slid back next to Dolls, and handed him his phone. She just hoped that nothing happened to Wynonna and Shorty. And of course Champ too. Obviously._

 

Nicole wasn't capable of smiling anymore, but the memory did fill her chest with a certain warmth that didn't mean she was about to throw up again. Before she knew it, she was standing outside her door. With stiff fingers, she pulled her key out of her purse, and shakily unlocked the door. Nicole couldn't find the energy to really look around for anything to wear. It was going to be enough trouble changing as it was, so she just grabbed the clothes she left out on her couch: her uniform.

Her breathing was labored as she haphazardly dropped her belongings and her dress to the floor. She stood there in nothing but her underwear as fatigue clung to her aching bones like a mother to a newborn child. A low hissing caught her attention, as did a fuzzy paw to her nose. That was when she discovered that she was lying on her stomach flat on the floor.

It was dubious considering she couldn't recall falling in the first place. Nicole saw the blood before she felt a sting. She dabbed a fingertip into the slowly growing puddle of scarlet before she swept her hand against her cheek. There was a cut there from falling down onto her keys. Now, it was deep enough to produce a puddle of blood, but shallow enough that it would soon stop oozing on its own eventually.

The thing that startled her the most was her complete lack of care. She didn't give a damn about the blood, and the fact she didn't care was what scared her, not the cut in general. She witnessed firsthand how self-destructive the townspeople had become. She supposed it was another effect of the poison, and she was only just now coming to the realization that she would lose all care for her own being eventually.

The notion scared her. She needed the antidote. She needed that goddamn Earp! _Stop it_ _!_ The thoughts were in and out of her head, and she was glad she had sent Waverly away. She wouldn't have been able to deal with the heartbroken look on her face if she did something she'd regret. Hell, Nicole remembers the tears that shone oh so clearly in Waverly's eyes when John Henry, Dolls, and the youngest Earp came into her hospital room looking for answers. She can remember what that _thing_ did to Wynonna before it started attacking her, and she swore to never let anything like that happen to Wynonna while under her watch again.

 

_Those haunting red eyes bore deep into Nicole's soul before she was violently ripped out of her car. At first, she thought him to be human as he swaggered his way into the road, effectively blocking the route. She was about to get out of the car and call to him before a wicked grin morphed his features. Nicole opened her mouth to say something, but it died in her throat when she glanced over at Wynonna._

_The twenty-seven-year-old woman had a crazed look in her eye as she stared the man down. But that wasn't what stopped Nicole dead in her tracks. No, that was the fact that there was a trail of blood leaking from the oldest Earp's nose like a faucet. Before she could speak a word, the patrol car door was ripped open, and a hand lashed out, striking her. She raised her hand as a weak defense, but something sharp gashed her palm._

_Nicole grabbed at nearly every possible surface she could to prevent him from pulling her out of the car, but everything soon became slick with her blood. She desperately tried to call out to Wynonna to tell her to run while she had the chance, but a large foot slammed into her ribs, knocking the wind out of her. There was no doubt that something was bruised, but she wasn't a quitter._

_Before he could take a step towards Wynonna, Nicole darted forward, and knocked him to the ground. He honest-to-god growled at her, before picking her up off of himself, and throwing her onto her face. He head hit a rock on the way down, slicing the flesh over her eyebrow, and the world faded to black._

_When she came to, there was a blindfold over her eyes, and she was hanging limply in a strong pair of arms. He kept whispering, "You're the wrong kind." over and over before she felt herself land heavily onto a snow-covered ground. The bitter cold that sunk deep to her bones made her shiver. Her quickly dampening clothes weren't helping matters much, and soon her entire body went numb._

_She couldn't stop thinking about Wynonna: Where is she? Is she safe? Did she get away? Then her mind shifted to a different Earp... The one who always took shelter in her mind. Nicole so wanted to see her one last time. She wanted to get that cup of coffee. She wanted to hear her laughter one last time. Well, if things were to end like this, she just hoped that Waverly and Wynonna reunited at least. She couldn't even think about how devastated Waverly would be if anything happened to her sister after she just got her back._

_With the reassurance that the Earps would be alright together, Nicole finally allowed herself to slip away._

 

The swipe of claws brought her out of her reverie. Nicole's eyes focused on the unimpressed look on Calamity Jane's face. The blood had crusted over on her cheek, but she couldn't bring herself to clean up. Besides, it wasn't like the rest of the town looked much better. With a groan, the officer found the strength to finish clothing herself, fed her cat (because it doesn't matter how sick you are, you have a duty to take care of pets) and was back outside, wandering the roads in search of... What exactly? There wasn't much she could do.

So with a heavy heart, a scattered mind, and blank eyes, her feet led her to the only place she really spent her time: the station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thing I'm changing from the original story line is the possession of Waverly. She's still going to be told she isn't an Earp, but for this story, Waverly reigns in her recklessness, and refrains herself from touching the goo.
> 
> More Wayhaught interaction in the next chapter


	3. Forced Declaration

It was a monumental effort to force one foot in front of the other. _I need Wynonna._ Nicole didn't bother to force the thoughts away anymore. It was too much work to convince herself that the real enemy was Bobo. _Wynonna's gonna pay._ The cut on her cheek began to itch, so the officer didn't hesitate on clawing away at her cheek. Fresh blood dripped down her cheek, to her chin, and down her neck.

There was a fire ignited deep in Nicole's eyes, so she figured that that was why everyone on the street was crossing the road to get away from her. The station was just in her sights, but before she could open the door, it was pushed open for her. Dolls and Doc came to a stop when they caught sight of Nicole.

"Miss Haught?" questioned Doc. "Are you feeling up to par?"

"What are you two doing?" Nicole demanded when she saw the guns and ammo they were toting.

"That's classified," dismissed Dolls as usual, which prompted an eye roll from Doc.

"Purgatory is overrun by revenants, a.k.a, Wyatt Earp's resurrected outlaws. Bobo del Rey's their leader. I am Doc Holliday,  _yes_ , that Doc Holliday, and Dolls here? He's just a dick." informed Doc _Holliday_.

Dolls bore holes into Doc with a stunned and agitated look. Despite the ringing in Nicole's ears, she had to admit that she wasn't that surprised. She knew all along that Purgatory was more than "quirky", as Sheriff Nedley liked to put it.

"I knew it! Thank you!" exclaimed Nicole, relieved that she wasn't going crazy, but she spoke too soon as a particularly strong wave of pain pulsed through her body.

Nicole staggered and swayed on her feet, and Doc was quick to rush forward to catch her before she fell. The concern in his eyes soon shifted into grim realization. He swore under his breath, but pulled her to her feet.

"We're on our way to find a cure." assured Dolls monotonously. "In the mean time, hang on tight while we go raid Shorty's."

Nicole, unable to say much else, nodded just a fraction of an inch. When Doc and Dolls' figures disappeared, Nicole slumped against the glass door to catch her breath. _I'll get the cure myself. I just gotta find Wynonna._ With that thought in mind, Nicole braced herself as she slowly slipped her way inside the building. The farthest she could make it was to the break room where she immediately slumped to the floor, exhaustion quickly claiming her body.

...

_Nicole's stomach was alive with butterflies that wanted out. No matter how many times she fiddled with her uniform, her first day jitters still wracked her body. The new rookie was well aware of the things she was losing by moving to a new, much smaller town to get the position, but she kept telling herself that it was worth it. After releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, Nicole got out of the car along with another deputy that rode along with her._

_It was a simple call. Officer Wright, the man who accompanied her on the call, assured her (almost mockingly) that Ms. Jenkins' cat was always getting away from her._

_"You'd think that batty old lady would take the hint that that cat just don't like 'er!" said Wright with an eye roll._

_Nicole ground her teeth together, her temper flaring. This deputy was certainly getting on her last nerve. He was always belittling her as if she were a child in need of assistance just because she was a woman. He always had a sexist joke on the tip of his tongue like it was ammo, and when he caught her eye as the rest of the department laughed their asses off, he would send her a wink._

_Long story short, she disliked him with a passion. Yet, there wasn't much she could do about it. They were from a small town, so that was the way they all thought. Just because Nicole came in didn't make a difference, and she would come to accept that. It didn't mean she liked it, because in no way did she care to listen to Wright's words, but she was the rookie, and they were all over her head. So in the mean time, she'd bide her time and bite her tongue like a good little rookie._

_"Some people just won't take a hint." she replied with more bite than necessary as she sent him a look out of the corner of her eye._

_"Hm," grunted Wright in agreement._

_Thirty minutes and a rescued cat later, Officers Haught and Wright were back at the patrol car. Ms. Jenkins was a sweet, somewhat odd lady. Nicole's face burned as she could still hear Wright's laughter in her ears. When they first arrived, they couldn't quite find the old lady. After searching around for her, they just about all but given up and calling it quits. Just when Nicole turned her back to head back to the patrol car, an old, croaky voice called out._

_"It's hot in here!" the voice groaned loudly, miserable._

_Nicole nearly jumped out of her skin in fright. That voice sounded anything but nice. In fact, it sounded kinda demonic. She whirled around, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun, but stopped suddenly when she noticed an elderly woman coughing up a lung and waving a hand in her face. Wright was biting his fist to conceal his peals of laughter. Nicole cleared her throat, her face red, and proceeded to question Ms. Jenkins about her missing cat._

_"Rule number one, rookie: Never turn your back in_ any _situation, even ones as simple as a cat rescue." drawled Officer Wright, and Nicole was about to reluctantly agree before he continued, "It'd be a relief to have that ol' bag off our hands, but you'da been charged with manslaughter, and that's no fun."_

_Needless to say, she ignored his statement. When Nicole rolled her eyes, she caught sight of one of the most beautiful women she's ever seen. She was wearing a crop top, but Nicole couldn't make out the words from such a distance. The brunette had a blissful smile etched onto her face as she talked animatedly to a different (maybe a little less stranger) elderly woman._

_The beautiful woman (as Nicole now dubbed her) laughed at something that was said, and her eyes crinkled. In that moment, she happened to glance over, and their eyes met. The air was ripped from Nicole's lungs as the brunette waved over at her. The rookie waved back in a daze, and continued to wave until the other woman looked away. Wright witnessed the exchange, and snorted._

_"You stay away from them there Earps... Nuthin' but trouble, they are." said Wright. "Although, that Waverly is the best of the bunch, but that ain't sayin' much considerin'."_

_"Waverly..." whispered Nicole. "I think I might just introduce myself, ya know, to get acquainted with people and all."_

_"Luck with that, but if you really wanna meet 'er so bad, she works over at Shorty's."_

_With that encounter said and done with, both officers drove off with one woman on both their minds: Waverly Earp._

...

The sound of voices roused Nicole from her sleep. The officer accidentally fell into a fitful slumber in the break room since that was as far as she could get without blacking out. She could vaguely recall the voice as Chrissy Nedley, Sheriff Nedley's daughter. She sounded hysterical and desperate. With a sigh of frustration, Nicole pushed down the ache settled in her bones, and headed towards the voice, which just so happened to be in her boss' office.

"Uhm, Chrissy? What are you doing?" Nicole questioned from the doorway.

Chrissy spun around, a phone in her hand, and a wild look on her face. Her eyes darted to something hidden behind Nedley's desk before meeting Nicole's eyes once more. The redhead squinted suspiciously, and rounded the desk, only to stop short at seeing exactly what, or in this case, _who_ was there. Waverly stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes. Her eyes zeroed in on the blood coating Nicole's face, and they widened even more in alarm.

"Chrissy, what do you think you're doing?" Nicole repeated slowly as she gently peeled off the tape covering Waverly's mouth.

"What happened to you?!" shrieked Waverly the second she could.

"I need Wynonna! So I took what would get her here the fastest." snapped Chrissy, her hands shaking.

"I need her, too, Chrissy," Nicole spat, trying to ignore the bewildered look on Waverly's face, "but you don't harm Waverly. I won't allow anyone to hurt her."

"You... We both... How are you not-" Chrissy stammered, unsure of what to say exactly.

"Yes, we're both poisoned," Waverly flinched; "and we are gonna die if we don't find a cure, but we won't hurt the innocent! You think Waverly had anything to do with this? She's your friend dammit!"

"You think Wynonna had a part in this?!" Waverly countered, growing angry and hurt that her friend and girlfriend (kind of) were blaming her sister.

Nicole at least had the decency to look ashamed, but for Chrissy, she was too far gone to care about anything or anyone except the antidote. She went back to her phone, maybe to call her father, Nicole presumed, but the sound of a door slamming opened startled everyone in the room. They could hear Wynonna and Willa's voice as they entered the sheriff's office.

"Where's Waverly?" Wynonna demanded.

Willa didn't take the same course of action, and knocked the poor girl out cold. Nicole stared at the oldest Earp, who shrugged, uncomfortable with the spotlight suddenly on her.

"What? She kidnapped our sister." drawled Willa, clearly bored.

Wynonna nodded slowly, but paused at the sight of Waverly tied up with Nicole crouched low beside her. The blood and the foam that stuck to the corner of Nicole's mouth instantly sent Wynonna into action. There was a gun pointed at Nicole before anyone could blink. The redhead was more impressed by the speed than terrified by the gun in her face.

"Quick draw Earp... Did Doc Holliday teach you that?" Nicole asked with an arched eyebrow. Two pairs of eyes widened in shock while the third pair hardened with hatred.

"What do you mean?" Wynonna asked with faux innocence.

"I had a pretty interesting conversation with Doc and Dolls, now get that goddamn gun out of my face!" spat Nicole, her irritation for Wynonna steadily rising.

"Unless you plan on buying me dinner, I don't do orders about what I do with my gun." countered Wynonna. She cocked the gun just to show she was serious.

"Wynonna!" Waverly yelped in fear. She wiggled her way between the two women she cared the most about. "Don't hurt her!"

"She wants to hurt me, baby girl!" Wynonna whined pettily.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it by now... Bobo said dead or alive, and I don't really plan on becoming a murderer just for you." Nicole said monotonously. Waverly gaped at her.

"Nicole!"

Wynonna grew tired of the back-and-forth banter, so she moved forward slowly, her gun still positioned on Nicole. When it was clear that she wasn't going to try anything, Wynonna set the gun down, and untied Waverly. She was too focused on untying Waverly and shuffling everyone out of the office that she didn't realize her other sister coming up behind her until she snatched away the gun.

Nicole, Waverly, and Wynonna stared open-mouthed at Willa. Waverly wasn't really shocked by the turn, seeing as she wasn't trusting towards her since the moment Wynonna brought her home like a stray cat. Nicole was marginally stunned. Willa was a dickhead, but the Earps were family. Surely that would've meant something at least... Looks like she was wrong. Wynonna was completely flabbergasted.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I know she took Peacemaker, so give me the gun before I punch a bunch of holes in Waverly's girlfriend." Willa commanded as she shifted the gun to focus on Nicole.

"Girlfriend?"

"Oh great, two Earps threaten me with a gun in one day... I'm on a roll, maybe I'll get the third one by midnight." muttered Nicole in annoyance.

"Now really isn't the time for your sarcasm." Wynonna quipped, still reeling from the revelation that her sister was in fact into chicks, and was currently dating the new officer in town.

"But my sarcasm is my best feature." Nicole clapped back with a growl.

"If I don't have it in three..." Willa shouted.

"No please!" pleaded Waverly, her now free hands searching behind her to grasp any part of Nicole, only to realize with dismay that Wynonna shoved her as far away from them as possible.

"It's the only thing that'll stop Bobo." said Wynonna begrudgingly.

"Two..."

"Wynonna,"

"I can't." stated Wynonna, glancing over at Waverly.

"Please... I love her." Waverly whispered, hoping that Nicole hadn't heard.

It was far too soon for I love you's, and they weren't even sure of what they were. Waverly herself was shocked, but just fractionally. It wasn't too much of a surprise that the officer swooped in and stole her heart. She treated her far better than Champ ever did. Nicole actually encouraged Waverly and her research, whereas Champ always insisted on "shutting her brain off" as he so kindly put it. Nicole was more chivalrous than her ex-boyfriend, and she reveled in it everyday.

So no, Waverly meant what she said, she just wasn't ready to put them out there yet. Leave it to _Willa_ , because it was _always_ Willa, to force the confession from her prematurely. The gears were turning in Wynonna's head, and it was clear in her eyes.

"Okay..." she whispered before turning to Willa. "Okay!"

Willa had her hand out quicker than Doc could draw a gun. The gun was still pointed at Nicole, who was twitching where she stood. She was mumbling under her breath, and her breathing was labored. Her hands were pulling at her loose strands of hair, amd if Waverly wasn't so terrified, she would have rushed over to comfort her girlfriend, but she couldn't, and it was torture.

"This isn't over. I'm coming for you." Wynonna swore as she reluctantly passed Peacemaker to her older sister.

"I better slow you down."

With that said, a gunshot rang out along with a scream.


	4. A trapped bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly receives a harsh blow from Bobo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might or might not be up to par... My favorite store where I get my Wynonna Earp comics at is going out of business, so I'm pretty bummed out and questioning where I can get them now. Enough rambling, here's chapter 4.

To say that Waverly's heart stopped might be a literal statement. After Willa casually strolled out the door without so much as a glance towards Nicole's body as she stepped by, Waverly finally pulled herself together enough to scramble over to her girlfriend's limp body. Tears were streaming down her cheeks like two individual rivers, and they blurred her vision terribly.

Waverly tried to swallow past the mounting fear that lodged itself in her chest, but it felt like thousands of tiny, burning needles were poking through her insides. Nicole was sputtering as she tried to flip herself onto her back, and Waverly was quick to assist her.

"Shh, shh, you're you're going to be okay." Waverly assured, but she wasn't so sure that she was trying to assure Nicole or herself.

"I-" Nicole started, but her body convulsed, which prompted a startled cry to escape the youngest Earp's lips.

Wynonna, who was standing rigid in the same spot the whole time, slowly turned around, afraid of the scene she'd find. Maybe she'd see her precious sister sprawled across her girlfriend's lifeless body as sobs wracked her entire body. Perhaps she'd have to watch as Waverly tried everything to stop the inevitable before realizing there was nothing she could do, and collapse into a dissociating state.

So when she turned around after bracing herself for the worst, Wynonna was bemused to see that none of the sorts was taking place. Sure, Waverly was spewing words through broken sobs, but Nicole looked in better shape than most people who were gunned down at such a close distance. It was a little _too_ suspicious, and when she said as much to the duo on the floor, Waverly shook her head violently.

"What are you talking about?" she stammered.

"There's no blood... If my sister joined the dark side and you've been a revenant the whole time, I'm calling in sick tomorrow." said Wynonna with a look of disgust on her face.

"No, I'm," started Nicole, but her shirt was ripped open; "wearing a bulletproof vest. I figured something was gonna go down, so I went with my gut... And this is the second time you've accused me of being a revenant!"

Wynonna sat on her legs with Nicole's head in her lap, her mouth opened slightly. Waverly was hunched over while sobbing in relief. Wynonna glanced between the two younger women with a thoughtful gaze. Sure, Nicole was trying to betray her and hand her off to Bobo, but honestly, who hasn't? With a sigh, she gave a tired smile to her younger sister when their eyes met.

"You finally picked a smart one." she said, sharing a warm smile with Waverly.

"Come on, I'm going to get you to a hospital." Waverly insisted while gently ushering Nicole up, but the officer was having none of it.

"I'm just a little bit bruised. You have to go with your dickhead sister to take down your other dickhead sister." grumbled Nicole, who was focusing so hard to control the twitches that were jolting up and down her spine.

"I wish Doc and Dolls were here." muttered Wynonna, who kindly took to ignoring everything that this Nicole had to say.

"They said something about raiding Shorty's, something about an antidote?" Nicole said absentmindedly as she plucked out the bullet that was lodged into the vest.

"See? Super smart," exclaimed Waverly before she bent down and captured Nicole's lips with her own.

They heard Wynonna grumble something, but they were too focused on each other to hear exactly what she said. For the first time since stumbling out of the party, Nicole felt at peace with Waverly sucking on her bottom lip and her hand stroking through her red locks. It was almost enough to lull her to sleep right there on the dusty station floor. Waverly's other hand reached up to cup her injured cheek, but Nicole didn't even realize.

Waverly Earp was her own personal cure it seemed. The hurt and pain was slowly evading her body, and all she could feel was this slow numbing sensation. The firm grasp she had on Waverly's forearm slackened, and her arm fell to her side. Her vision swam in and out, but she would be damned if she broke the kiss. Sensing something was wrong, Waverly pulled back to stare at Nicole.

"Nicole?"

But the officer was too out of it. She looked up at the beautiful woman hovering over her with glazed over eyes and a lazy smile. Waverly's lips were moving, but a low buzz was ringing in her ear. Nicole's peripherals were fading to black, but she had to assure Waverly until the worried and scared look was gone. A face as beautiful as hers shouldn't be twisted in fear.

Nicole moved her lips, trying to say, "Go, I'll be fine," but she couldn't tell if she actually said it or not. By the look on Waverly's face and the way Wynonna was tugging on her arm, she'd assume that it was intelligible enough to be understood. With a kiss to her lips, her forehead, and her injured cheek, Waverly was gone, and Nicole relaxed into the darkness that claimed her.

...

Waverly was torn. To put it simple, she knew there were important things that needed to be taken care of with Wynonna, but Nicole was lying on the floor, out cold and poisoned. Waverly didn't even have time to say or do anything she wanted to say or do to Nicole, and what scared her the worst was the fact that she couldn't say for certain that she'd be alive when she got back.

"She shot my girlfriend." she snapped at something Wynonna said. They were still in a bit of a daze that Sheriff Nedley had saved them from the angry townspeople.

"I know, but we need to go-" Wynonna was saying, but Waverly interrupted.

"There's something I need to do by myself." she said shortly.

"What?" questioned Wynonna blankly.

"Trust me, I need to do this."

The two sisters stared at each other for an entire minute. Things were going to hell around them, but Wynonna was fighting like hell to keep a straight face for Waverly. Her sister was so strong after going what she'd gone through as a child and up through her adolescence and adulthood. The years hadn't beat her down and withered her like they had done to Wynonna.

Wynonna could still remember sneaking in and out of foster home windows at night just to watch over her young sister as the night plagued her mind with terrors. Wynonna was always quick to hop into bed with her and fight away the invisible monsters that attacked the young girl in her dreams. With strong arms to embrace her at night, Waverly was soothed right back into an easy slumber without ever waking up.

To this day, Wynonna never explained that she was always there at night. What good would it have done? Besides, she always saw the effects she had on Waverly, and they were never good. Taunts were always thrown her way when she'd do something as simple as walk by. The sneers that would dim her smile hurt Wynonna more than they ever could harm Waverly because she knew it was her fault.

She was the faulty Earp, but Waverly always took part of the blame for it just because they shared the same last name, and it was always a hot iron to Wynonna's gut. Waverly was so desperate to rid herself from the Earp shadow that clung to her ankles like a chain, and she finally did it in a way that Wynonna would forever despise: Champ Hardy. Waverly's actions and judgements were always thought out quite well, but that was a spur of the moment action that she would be stuck in for years to come.

Besides that, Wynonna never had any reason to question what Waverly said or did, so as she stared deep into the firm eyes of her younger sister, she couldn't bring herself to _not_ believe her. She cradled Waverly's cheeks in her hands, and brought her forehead down so she could kiss it.

"Be careful, baby girl," warned Wynonna quietly.

"I love you, be safe." Waverly said.

She watched as Wynonna continued down the sidewalk to Shorty's. She wiped away one last tear before straightening out her shoulders. She had a confrontation with Bobo she had to settle.

...

The wooden floors creaked and groaned beneath her feet as she walked in circles to take in everything about the tree house. The origami birds that littered the ground crunched under her heel in a satisfying way. Waverly hoped that by experiencing the tree house, she'd be able to see everything in Willa's perspective. In the end, she really couldn't. Maybe it was all Bobo's doing. It had to have been because living in such a place would only cause her to hate her captor with a burning intensity.

Why birds? Did it mean something? Was it a symbol or a metaphor that represented Willa in a way? Because in a way, Willa was a bird... A caged one. And now that she was free, she was wreaking havoc on the town that was so cruel to them. Just like the origami birds trapped in the tree house, long forgotten, Willa was in a prison named Purgatory, and it forgot all about her for several long years.

"Waverly Earp... To what do I owe the pleasure?" drawled a deep voice from behind her. To Waverly's credit, she showed no signs of being startled, and instead, slowly turned around to face Bobo.

"You owe plenty, but I'll start by taking Willa back." said Waverly calmly.

"You know as well as I do that no one can control Willa. She tasted the sweet taste of freedom, and she craves for more." Bobo dismissed with a cruel grin.

"She was the lead all along... She's going to help you escape." stated Waverly slowly.

"If anyone could have figured it out, it would have been little, intelligent Waverly."

"I'm not little anymore." Waverly hissed, her fists clenching by her sides.

"You'll always be little to me, I've known you since you were small." Bobo chuckled with a glint shining in his dark, predator-like eyes.

"I wish you hadn't!" Waverly shouted, blowing her top. "You ruined us Earps! What's so goddamn funny?" Bobo was laughing up a storm as Waverly yelled at him. It was all very amusing to him, as if a tiny puppy was yipping at him.

"If memory serves me correctly, things were wrecked before I came along. Your relationships with family were frayed without my help." countered Bobo, hitting the nail on its head. "Little Waverly was always out of the loop. A mother that ran out, a father that forgot she was even there, a sister who tortured her day in and day out, and another sister who idolized the other one so much that she overlooked everything she ever did to you."

"Shut up." Waverly demanded so coldly, that Bobo actually arched an eyebrow at her.

"Am I spot on? Does the truth hurt? Well, I have another truth that will not only hurt, it will destroy." he snarled with a wicked smirk that taunted Waverly just as bad as the narrow-minded assholes back in the elementary days.

"We're going to win, the Earps will find a way." Waverly countered with such ferocity that Bobo was meeting his match.

"Oh Waverly, you're not even an Earp."

The silence that followed was deep as an ocean, and Waverly couldn't swim. The mockery and the taunting was gone from Bobo's face and voice, and what was left sickened Waverly to the very core: sincerity. The air was too thin to breathe, and Waverly was on the cusp of a panic attack. In that moment, she realized that everything she tried to run away from was all she wanted to be.

Being an Earp was the only thing she'd ever known. It was what tortured her as a child; It was what caused her to be an outcast, and here they were, and it was all for nothing. The abuse she received was for nothing. The hurtful words that bled into her which she cried back out every night into her pillow was all for nothing. All the resentment she felt towards Wynonna throughout her life was all for nothing.

"Willa's coming, you need to hide." Bobo's entire demeanor shifted once he realized how bad he broke Waverly. He never meant to hurt her as a child, in fact, he would have taken her away from that awful Ward, too, but alas, she didn't share the same blood as the heir.

He guided her to hide behind a bed railing in the corner, and if Waverly wasn't too far gone in her own mind, she would have questioned how anyone couldn't see her through the spaces. The door latch swung open, and Willa bustled into the tree house.

"I retrieved Peacemaker, that irritating Waverly took it." Willa sneered, but Bobo wanted to get away as soon as possible.

"It doesn't matter, let's go."

The sound of their thunderous footsteps soon receded, and just like before, she was all alone. The heart-wrenching sobs that tore out of her throat was excruciatingly painful. Her world was at a tilt, and everything was spinning just out of her grasp. The questions still burned inside of her, but the answers were gone, just like Bobo... Just like Willa. Her life was gone, and once Wynonna found out, she'd be gone right along with everything else.

The hand she held over her mouth did nothing to muffle the cries she was making, and Waverly thought that if it was possible to drown in your own tears, she would have been in her watery tomb a few minutes ago. The Waverly she built long ago died when Wynonna came back to town, and showed her that being an Earp wasn't so bad. The new and improved Waverly was finally happy. She was doing something she loved, she had her favorite sister back, and she had a girlfriend who cared about her and everything she found interest in.

And then she was destroyed by Bobo. It seems as though Waverly was always destined to break in every way possible. Every time she found something special for herself, it would always crash and burn in a fiery grave, and maybe it was time to just accept that. It was time to accept that she was about to lose everything the moment she left the tree house... Or she could withhold everything she learned from everyone. Yes, no one had to know. She'd put on a smile, help her sis-  _Wynonna_ , save Nicole, and pretend to be an Earp.

But first, she'd stay in the tree house just a little bit longer, and mourn the loss she never knew she'd have to carry. No one had to know, but she would... Forever. She'd allow herself to break before she left a piece of herself in this prison. A part of Waverly would always be a trapped bird.


	5. What's on your troubled mind?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite needing a cure ASAP, Nicole refuses to seek treatment until Waverly divulges what's making her sad.

Wynonna learned from a young age that it was possible to repress a trauma. She learned a few years down the line that with enough pressure building, nothing really stays buried. So after she shot her long-lost-recently-recovered sister, an old wound was violently ripped wide open, and left her agape, spilling every negative emotion out from within.

Wynonna's muscles were sore from being wound tightly with anxiety. Having a gun pointed at you by your sister, and then said sister pulling the trigger could bring about some panic. _Seems like I got even though._ Wynonna shook the thought away with a shiver. Doc mistook the act as a sign of being freezing, so he gathered her deeper into his arms. Wynonna didn't have enough energy (physical, mental, or emotional) to tell him otherwise, but she did sport a small smile when he placed his hat on her head.

"I'm shocked that you've parted with your hat." she quipped with little emotion. "Isn't it like your true love or something?"

"By all means does this hat mean a great deal to me, yes, but I have found it to be just that: a _hat_." Doc countered while rubbing her arms to gather heat.

"Woah there, Doc Seuss, that's enough rhyming for me in one sitting."

She felt, rather than heard, his laughter from against his chest. She felt warm and safe in his arms, but one thought was enough to pull free from his grasp and look around as if afraid to be caught. Dolls was looking off beyond the line at where the snake-like creature was just annihilated, but by the tautness of his shoulders, she could tell he saw everything.

Meanwhile, Doc's mustache twitched as he gazed between the two BBD agents. He walked up on the two having a moment at the party, and then everything made sense: the reluctance to put a name to the thing between the two of them; the refusal to really speak about what happened; the way she moved closer to Dolls than to him whenever the three were around each other.

It all clicked, and it wasn't a great feeling at all. But it wasn't the time to dwell on such things, what with the woman who holds your affection's sister was just gunned down by said woman. So if all Wynonna wanted was a pair of arms and stylish hat, then that was what he'd give her. Right now wasn't about him, and all his years had taught him to be the perfect gentleman.

And a perfect gentleman he shall be. Wynonna's world just fell apart for about the third time in her lifetime before all of their eyes, and a group of professionally dressed people shuffled off with Dolls and Bobo. Everything was falling apart to where even he himself didn't know what to do, but he was sure that once everyone had a collected head, and they reunited with the very much intelligent Waverly Earp, they could figure anything out.

_Speaking of Waverly... Miss Haught!_

...

To put it plainly, Nicole's entire body felt like she had run a marathon. She felt an exhaustion that struck deep down to her bones. But that was alright, honestly... She'd do it again if it meant she could look across at a smiling Waverly. They were in bed together, but it was silent. No words were needed as they just stared deeply at each other. Waverly's fingers were running gently up and down her arm, which Nicole found ticklish.

"I could stay here forever you know." Nicole remarked with a grin.

Waverly responded with a gentle smile as her fingers moved up to stroke her face.

"I know you could... I could, too." she whispered quietly.

"Why don't we? I could totally call in sick!" the officer insisted with a chuckle.

"We can't," Waverly said, melancholy clear on her face. Nicole furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Why not? You want to, I want to... I say yes, why won't you say yes?"

"Because I love you."

The air in Nicole's lungs evaporated at the sentence. They never said those words to each other yet, but it certainly had an affect on her. Nicole's cheeks were about as red as her hair, and her heartbeat was so loud, she was sure that Waverly could hear it, and she did. Waverly giggled as she placed her hand right over the beating heart to feel it beneath her palm.

After a moment, she replaced her hand with her head so she could hear it up close. When she seemed satisfied, Waverly replaced her ear with her lips, and she kissed Nicole right over her heart, and she was positive she was about to have a heart attack.

"I-I love you, too." whispered Nicole.

Her girlfriend's face was hovering over hers in a second, and her long brunette hair formed a curtain around their faces. Waverly's eyes were shining so bright as they gazed at each other. The strong heartbeat was still pounding loudly in their ears, and it only grew louder as the shorter woman moved closer and closer until their lips were barely touching.

"That's great, but you can't leave me." Waverly said urgently. The change of tone threw Nicole into a loop.

"What?"

"Please! Don't leave me!" pleaded Waverly tearfully.

"Baby, I'm right here." Nicole said while grabbing her hands. "See? Feel my heartbeat?" There was no beat whatsoever.

Nicole stared down at where Waverly's hand was. There was a heartbeat pounding in her ears, but there was no feeling under her palm. It was perplexing considering there was one just a second ago. The fear on Waverly's face was soon mirrored on her own.

"I just got you... You can't go yet!" sobbed Waverly.

"I'm not trying to!" Nicole shouted hysterically. "Please, help!"

"I love you."

Waverly said the same sentiment she said a moment ago, but it was much quieter this time around. It sounded far off like it was a whisper. There were no more words, but the dreadful sobbing still rung in her ears. Nicole could tell it was Waverly's, and she wanted so badly to get her to stop. It was breaking her un-beating heart to hear her so broken, but found herself unable to do anything.

There was a sudden pressure pushing on her chest, but Waverly had hopped off of her to go cry in another room. She swatted away all her advances, making it clear she didn't want to be followed. So when she glanced down, there was nothing there. The pressure suddenly ceased, but before she could sigh in relief, it felt like she took in a deep breath.

Her lungs were expanding too much for her to take, so she began coughing and gagging. It was suddenly too bright to see, but it didn't matter anyway, the tears blocked her vision. The heartbeat was much louder, and it was just about the only thing she could hear at all. It felt like her head was leaning against a soft pillow... or _two_ , _very soft_ pillows. When Nicole could see again, she craned her neck over, and found her face to be nuzzled up against a certain someone's chest.

"Uh..." murmured Nicole in shock, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away... because of the pain of course! Yeah.

"Nicole!" Waverly shrieked tearfully, pulling Nicole away to get a clear look at her face.

The officer took the advantage to look up at Waverly while the smaller woman examined her. Waverly's eyes were bloodshot, and it was from a mixture of tiredness and tears. There were tear tracks lining down her relieved-looking face. Nicole wondered briefly how long she was passed out, but all thoughts flew out the door when Waverly attacked her lips with her own.

"Missed me?" Nicole joked innocently, but there was concern underlining her tone.

"You were dead, Nicole!" snapped Waverly, who was soon brought into a hysterical fit.

Nicole tensed. That was the second time in her life that she technically died, and that's one too many times a human should die. Purgatory sure had its problems, and now it was causing Nicole problems. Mostly health problems! It took everything in her to make the phone call to notify her family that she was pronounced dead the first time, and Nicole was sure that it would kill her mom to hear about it a second time.

She could still hear her mom lecturing her that moving to Purgatory would be a mistake, and when Nicole came to her senses, she'd always have a place to come back to. But Nicole would rather die a third time than withstand the I-told-you-so's that would surely be thrown her way in every conversation. _You want me to pass the salt? Why don't you ask your Purgatory friends to pass the salt? Wait, they aren't here, here you are, dear._

"Whatever you do, please don't tell my mom." pleaded Nicole as if she were afraid to be scolded.

Waverly stopped crying, and just stared at her. After a minute of exasperated stares, Waverly gently helped Nicole to her feet despite the hisses and moans of agony. She just pulled the officer closer after she swung Nicole's arm around her shoulder. Waverly buried herself into her girlfriend's side. She wasn't able to comfort her earlier, and it was killing her, but she was capable now, and she was taking full advantage.

Because helping Nicole was highly therapeutic for herself as well. She was still a reeling mess from her talk with Bobo, but if anything felt right and real, it was the woman who was limping beside her. Nicole grounded her when things were becoming too much, or if she was in over her head about something, and Nicole was always there with open arms and a bottle of something strong.

Nicole never knew what the exact problem was because Waverly never spilled the Earp's big secret. Everyone in town avoided her and Wynonna like the plague, and teased and taunted her throughout her life, so her initial reaction to telling the secret about revenants and the curse was a no-go. Nicole was much too precious and special to send away, and the thing between them was still so new.

But now, everything changed. Nicole knew the fundamentals of what was happening in Purgatory, and Waverly now knew why she could never be the heir. The thought sent a bolt of depression through her chest, and she tightened her hold around the officer's waist. Waverly really rubbed off onto Nicole because just like her girlfriend, the officer could now tell when something was bothering the smaller woman.

Despite the protests, Nicole changed the course they were on, and moved them back into Nedley's office. Waverly wasn't happy to be back on the couch when Nicole was dead just a few minutes before and was still dying, but Nicole wasn't going to cure herself until she knew what was haunting Waverly's beautiful mind.

"There's something going on in that great, big brain of yours, and I'm not leaving this office until you tell me what's bothering you." Nicole stated, leaving no room for argument, but leave it to Waverly to argue nevertheless.

"You're insane! I found you dead on the floor! You're still dying!" Waverly shouted back, her anger and panic getting the best of her.

"I don't care." Nicole countered with a shrug that sent ripples of pain down her spine. "I know that right now is probably the best time to talk about this while there won't be any interruptions from your sister or Nedley."

"Chrissy!" Waverly shouted in surprise, she forgot all about her.

"Don't worry, the sheriff already came to collect his daughter, and he insisted on helping me out of here, but I was in too much pain to move." Nicole assured, but it didn't nothing to assuage Waverly's fear.

"See?!" Waverly screamed. "We don't have time for this!"

"Well just tell me what's wrong!"

"Why do you even care so much? You found out about the curse! Why aren't you halfway gone yet?" Waverly finished in a sob, and buried her face in her hands.

Nicole didn't have a comeback straight away. She gawked at the crying woman who was curling into herself more and more as the seconds ticked away. Tentatively, Nicole shuffled over, sat beside her, and tried to take Waverly into her arms. But Waverly didn't feel like being comforted, so she ripped away from the contact, not caring about the noise of disapproval that came from Nicole.

"You wanna know why I'm not gone yet?" Nicole questioned rhetorically. "Because my body won't let me."

"Great, so once you're healed, you'll hit the road." squeaked Waverly, her heart dropping into her stomach like a pound of coal.

"Not even then will I leave, Waves... My heart wouldn't let me leave either."

Waverly snapped her head over to Nicole to find nothing but sincerity written all over her face. It vaguely reminded her of Bobo when he told her she wasn't an Earp, but this was different. Bobo meant his words to destroy her, but Nicole was putting herself out there with the risk of destroying _herself_.  Waverly fell even more in love with the other woman.

"Why is that, Nicole Haught?"

"Because I'm too in love with you, Waverly Earp."

The use of the word Earp was enough to somewhat dim the sentiment. It filled her heart with warmth, but it also punched her in the gut. She pulled away from Nicole, and strode across the room to get away. Nicole's face crumpled, and she was mentally kicking herself repeatedly. She knew it was too soon, but she had hoped that it would make Waverly see that she was in for the long haul.

It only sent Waverly away, and she should have seen that as a possibility, and she did, oh how she saw that indeed, but despite the fear she felt, she thought that there was a small chance that Waverly felt the same. She thought that she heard Waverly say it before to Wynonna, but that might have been a dream she concocted in her rattled mind at the time.

"I see... It was too soon, I know..." said Nicole tonelessly. Waverly whirled around, and gasped at the hurt that was clear as day on her girlfriend's face.

"No!" Waverly had to fix this. "No, that wasn't it! I love you, too!"

"I- huh?"

"I love you more than I've loved anyone before, but things are different. I'M different." Waverly more or less pleaded.

"You're still Waverly to me." insisted Nicole with a sweet smile that had traces of a grimace. They had to get her to the antidote at Shorty's now.

"Okay, I'm still Waverly, and as Waverly, I order you to get your cute butt up so we can get you to Shorty's." she demanded quickly.

Nicole sighed heavily, but eventually gave in. The couple was on their feet and out the station door, and Nicole was already dreading the walk that it would take to reach the bar. Waverly rubbed soothing circles on her back while whispering sweet nothings into her ear as she guided her along. Nicole allowed herself to be led as she studied Waverly. Something was off, but she clearly wasn't ready to talk about it, so Nicole wouldn't push her to reveal something she wasn't ready for, but it had something to do with being a different person apparently, so she pulled Waverly to a stop before planting a kiss onto her lips.

"Just so you know, no matter who you are, or believe you aren't, you'll always be my Waverly, and I wouldn't ask you to be anyone else." Nicole insisted seriously.

And as easily as she built her walls up, they came crashing down, and Waverly had silent tears streaming down her cheeks as she nodded. She buried her head into the crook of Nicole's neck, and continued the trek towards Shorty's. She might not be an Earp, but she'd always be Waverly... At least in Nicole's eyes. And in that moment, that was all that really mattered. She'd deal with Wynonna at a later time, but the woman who made her feel so loved was dying at the moment, and she had to save her.


	6. Safe Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole gets the cure, Wynonna has a serious talk with Waverly, and a somewhat happy ending (because it wouldn't be life if everything was sunshine and rainbows).

Nicole glanced over at Chrissy Nedley, who was curled up on a cot after receiving her treatment. She looked exceptionally better than the last time the Earp girls and Nicole had seen her. Sheriff Nedley was crisscrossing the entire room, conversing with people as he went, but he always kept an eye on his daughter every few minutes. Nicole would have offered to check on her for him, but she was well aware that a troubled father had no need for any assistance when it came to an injured daughter.

Loud moans resonated off the walls of Shorty's as townsfolk waited impatiently for their turn at the antidote. From the moment that Waverly half-dragged, half-carried her into the bar, Nicole was a little embarrassed to admit that she joined the riot of people trying to get her hands on the cure. Elbows were thrown, and at one point, a chair was broken, but a large group of higher-ups were quick to settle everyone down with force if need be.

Nicole sighed, and inclined her head as she felt the antidote working its way through her bloodstream. Her body didn't feel the need to destroy itself, but there was still a dull throb just behind her eyeballs. She and Waverly were sitting in a secluded corner away from everyone else, and relished in the privacy. A soft hand squeezed hers before entwining their fingers. A gentle smile found its way to Nicole's lips, and when she turned her head, she was met with an even softer pair of lips.

The officer was vaguely aware that they were in public, but seeing as Waverly herself was too distracted to really care, Nicole couldn't bring herself to question it. Besides, for Waverly, the hardest part was coming out to Wynonna, and now she felt a little silly for feeling anxious. Wynonna was understanding about their relationship, and all she cared about was if whoever was dating her baby sister was ten times better than Champ.

"How are you feeling?" whispered Waverly against Nicole's lips.

"Well, now that the poison isn't killing me, I feel like I've been shot." Nicole quipped with a lazy grin. Waverly wasn't as amused by the joke as she was.

"That's not funny!" she snapped. If Nicole didn't look so fragile in that moment, she would've slapped her on the arm.

"Waverly, you need to relax." Nicole soothed gently, throwing her arm around Waverly's shoulder to pull her closer. Waverly mumbled under her breath, but she curled into Nicole's side nonetheless. "I'm alive right now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't you see? Ever since you came to Purgatory, you've been hurt left and right!" countered Waverly with a slight hitch towards the end. "You've died twice, and now I see how cursed I really am. You shouldn't be around me."

Waverly could feel the tears building behind her eyes, and she didn't speak another word in fear that her voice would shake and give her away. Nicole was bewildered; They hadn't brought up the Earp curse yet, and she knew it would be a touchy subject. And of course she'd think that was what Waverly was talking about, and Waverly couldn't bring herself to correct her.

Waverly let Nicole babble about the Earp curse meaning nothing to her, but it fell on deaf ears. Anything that had to do with Earp made Waverly sick to her stomach, and she couldn't take hearing herself be classified as an Earp. That was her true curse: to be filed away as something she wasn't. That wasn't anything new. She's spent years pretending up a person who would fit in, and when she finally succeeded, she convinced herself she was happy despite a certain hole in her heart she didn't quite understand. Careful fingers grasped her chin delicately.

"Hey, look at me." commanded Nicole softly while gently turning Waverly's head to face her. "Everything that happens to me is all part of the job. I knew the risks I was taking when I took the position, so don't you dare convince yourself anything is your fault."

"Nicole, stop lying to yourself and to me... We both know that if it weren't for these revenants, you'd be happy and safe." Waverly barked, tearing away from Nicole's grasp, or at least tried to before a firm hand held hers.

"I might be safer, that's true, but I could never be happy in a world where I wasn't with you." said Nicole seriously, but her words were having the opposite effect of what she was hoping for.

"Well maybe you should try." Waverly whispered brokenly before she pushed herself to her feet.

Nicole was calling out to the receding form of Waverly's back, but the smaller woman didn't stop once, not even to send one last final wave. Nicole couldn't stop the tears from falling, and her heart shattered deep inside her chest. It felt like she never took the antidote at all, and all her organs were shutting down and failing on her. The arm she was holding out as if she could grab Waverly back, fell limply by her side. Sheriff Nedley, who heard the commotion and decided to investigate it, looked down at Nicole with a weird expression on his face. It looked as though he was trying to look sympathetic towards her, but didn't quite know how to force his face to look like it.

"You alright, Haught?" he barked gruffly. Nicole's eyes snapped to him, almost like she didn't even realize he was there.

"I don't know," she snapped quietly, unable to look her boss in the eye for much longer. Nedley sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"If, uh, you want any company... My daughter is over there." he pointed uselessly.

"I appreciate the offer, but I need to be alone." whispered Nicole hollowly. Nedley cleared his throat, and turned away, but before he left, he called back to his deputy.

"Last I remember, Chrissy was friends with Waverly... Just somethin' to think about."

Nicole gawked at her boss as he resumed his rotations around the room. Was he suggesting to use his daughter as a lead to Waverly? Nicole snapped her mouth closed, and glanced again over at Chrissy. _Not a bad idea though._

...

Wynonna dropped her glass of whiskey when the front door to the Homestead slammed open. She cursed as she regretfully stared down at the shattered glass and spilled whiskey. She was about to shout at Doc for causing such a travesty, but her words died in her throat when she caught sight of a tearful Waverly storming up the stairs two at a time. Wynonna was off the couch, and was dashing up the staircase right after her sister.

"Waverly! What wrong?" shouted Wynonna before fear crept up on her. "Oh no... Nicole isn't..." She couldn't finish.

"Yes, she fucking died, Wynonna, but it's okay, really, because I revived her long enough to get her to the cure, and don't worry because now I made it to where the revenants won't target her." spat Waverly as she hugged her one-eyed teddy bear to her chest.

"Waves, what are you talking about?" Wynonna asked obliviously, and Waverly snapped.

"I fucking dumped her!"

Wynonna stood awkwardly in the doorway. Waverly hugged the bear tighter as she started to sob. Wynonna didn't know what to do in this situation. Before Nicole, the only person Waverly dated was Champ, and when she dumped him, it was like she dropped one hundred and eighty-five pounds of arrogant fat, and she was free from the crushing weight. Looking at her now, Waverly was a wreck.

"Uh, if it's bothering you so much, why'd you even dump her?" prodded Wynonna tentatively.

"Out of everywhere else in the world, she came to Purgatory, a place that is overrun by demons that want us dead, and will want her dead by association." said Waverly bitterly.

"Baby girl, she came here on her own free will, and she doesn't need you to get attacked by revenants... Sorry to break it to you, but it's not all about you." Wynonna joked, but Waverly took it as something else because she snapped her head up, and she glared at Wynonna.

"You're right, Wynonna, because it's all about you."

The thick silence that followed was deafening. Wynonna looked like a fish out of water with her mouth opening and closing several times as she stared in shock at Waverly through wide eyes. The warmth that the two sisters usually had between them was gone, and the only thing left was a claustrophobic tension that strangled the both of them. Wynonna's nerves were on edge, and her feet fought against the natural instinct to run away. Waverly sat rigidly on the edge of her bed, her spine resembling a ruler.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Wynonna when she finally found her voice.

"Don't play dumb, Wynonna, we both know what I'm talking about." Waverly scoffed with a certain edge.

"Well enlighten me, dear sister, because the last time I checked, you didn't hate me for being the heir!" Wynonna hissed scathingly.

The two women were at a standstill, just gazing at the other with a range of emotions. Waverly was the first to look away, the hurt and anger radiating from her sis- _Wynonna_ becoming too much to handle. She sobbed quietly through clenched teeth, but Wynonna could tell by the shaking of her body that she was crying softly to herself. She didn't take a step closer, but she did calm down marginally.

"What's really going on with you? You dumped Nicole and left her with traces of poison still in her system," Waverly flinched violently at how it sounded now. "you come back and start a fight with me... What happened when I left you to go check on Dolls and Doc?"

Waverly bounced off the bed, dropping the bear without a thought, and flung herself at Wynonna, who tensed initially, but relaxed somewhat when Waverly clung to her like her life depended on it. She was sobbing into her neck, and mumbled incoherently, but all Wynonna could make out was the broken "sorry" that was being repeated like a mantra. She put her hands on Waverly's shoulders, and brought her back far enough to look into her eye.

"Baby girl... Just tell me what happened... Please." begged Wynonna desperately. She knew that if Waverly hadn't said it by now, it would take some prodding, and she was right because Waverly was shaking her head slowly. "Nothing you say will make me hate you... Haven't I proved that already?"

"That's because you thought I was your sister!" Waverly burst before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"What?"

To say that Wynonna was bemused would be the understatement of the century. It actually took her a whole minute before she could even process what was said. She wanted to ask more, but by the look of complete fear on Waverly's face, right now wasn't the time to have her repeat herself.

"What makes you think you aren't my sister?" she eventually decided to ask.

"Bobo told me I wasn't an Earp."

The bombshell was dropped, and they relapsed into silence once again. Wynonna reeled back as if she were burnt, and while Waverly was expecting that sort of reaction, it still punched her in the gut. She turned away from Wynonna, and fell back onto the bed. The oldest- _only_ Earp realized the brutal mistake she made, and took slow steps closer, almost as if she were approaching a caged animal that was scared.

"Waves, he's a liar... He manipulates everyone to get what he wants!" insisted Wynonna hopefully, but she deflated when Waverly shook her head.

"He wasn't... I just know he wasn't."

Wynonna was at a loss for words. In the span of a few hours, she had lost both sisters. One was dead, and the other- _NO! She will always be your sister... No matter what._ The war inside her head was giving her a headache, so she settled on dealing with the easiest thing... or so she thought would be the easiest thing: reassuring Waverly.

"Waverly, I hope you know that whether he was lying or not, you'll always be my sister. I'll always love you, and I'll always forgive you. Blood doesn't make a family, it's the memories and love that makes a house a home, and right now, you're the only home I've got, baby girl." choked Wynonna.

Waverly dove into Wynonna's side, nearly tackling her, and hugged her sister as tightly as she held the teddy bear before. That bear was always her safe haven growing up, so it was hard to let go of him, but now here was Wynonna telling her that it was okay, and that they'd figure everything out together as a family, and now it seemed so easy to forget all about the stuffed animal when her safe haven was hugging her back with just as much force.

"I love you." whispered Waverly through her tears.

"I love you more... But there's someone else who loves you that you just left behind." Wynonna said gently, and Waverly pulled away with a gasp.

"What have I done?!" she shrieked.

"Don't worry, we're gonna go get your girl together." assured Wynonna while sticking her hand out to Waverly. Waverly's smile was blinding as she grabbed the hand and squeezed.

"Together."

...

 "And that's the story of how my third boyfriend broke up with me... Even after I swore I'd never tell my father." finished Chrissy with a derisive shake of the head. Nicole almost wept out of joy when the story finally ended. The entire time she tuned the younger woman out as she contemplated whether or not it'd be worth turning that boy in for all the unusual shit he pulled.

"Chrissy, as interesting as memory lane is, I thought you said you'd help me win Waverly back." pressed Nicole, quickly deterring the sheriff's daughter from telling more stories.

"Oh! Yeah, I'll totally help because the two of you are so cute together." gushed Chrissy before she put on a serious face. "First, we need to corner her."

"Or, I could corner the both of you." Waverly quipped from behind the duo who had their heads close together like they were telling important secrets. Nicole physically jumped with a yelp, and whirled around with a look on her face that screamed she'd been caught red-handed.

"Waverly!... Wynonna?" Nicole shouted, but trailed off when the oldest Earp waltzed up behind the small brunette.

Waverly's face was clouded with remorse, and she hesitantly reached out a hand, going slow enough to give Nicole time to either latch on or shake away. Nicole didn't give her enough time to doubt herself before she quickly grabbed Waverly's hand, and pulled her close. Waverly stumbled a bit in surprise, but smiled when Nicole embraced her in a tight hug. Waverly took a moment to curse herself for her lapse of judgement before, and returned the hug.

When Nicole slowly pulled away, Waverly cradled her face in her hands, not giving a damn about the crusted blood flakes that were falling away when her fingers ran over them. All she cared about was the fact that one of her safe havens was standing behind her protectively, and her other one was holding her lovingly around her waist while looking deep into her eyes.

"Look, I don't care about the risks of being with you, Waverly. All the best things in life wouldn't be worth it if there weren't risks involved. So please, don't leave me again." pleaded Nicole, her voice wavering, and Waverly nearly cried for the millionth time that day before she crashed their lips together.

Her fingers wrapped nicely in red locks as two strong hands began rubbing small circles on the lower part of her back. Her body was flushed against Nicole's, but she couldn't care less if people were staring at them, and she cared even less than that when Champ pushed by while muttering under his breath. Wynonna saved them the hassle of confronting him when she yelled after his retreating form something about him being angry that his ex-girlfriend was getting more lady loving than he was.

"It would be a waste of breath to give you the shovel talk," started Wynonna when they broke away with dazed smiles, "but just know Haught, that I have a big ass gun, and a big ass land... No one will find you, and I learned my lesson about leaving evidence."

"I could never hurt her." swore Nicole without looking away from Waverly.

With another kiss, Waverly whispered, "I love you."

"And I love you... Revenants and all."

"What's a revenant?" muttered Chrissy in confusion.

"Shut up, Chrissy, you're ruining the moment." snapped Wynonna before she turned away from the couple. "For some reason, I feel the need to go find Doc."

"Because you love him, dude," Nicole quipped with a grin before ducking away from the halfhearted punch that was thrown her way.

"No, because I need a drink, you two are making me sick with all this gooey crap, and I'm one hundred percent certain he's got something hard enough for me." drawled Wynonna.

"Oh, I'm sure he does." chuckled Nicole, and the double meaning was not lost on the oldest Earp.

"Dude... We just established that I got a gun." she warned one last time before she left the couple to it.

"That was disgusting." giggled Waverly, gently scratching the back of Nicole's neck.

"You love me anyway." Nicole grinned smugly.

"I forget why, but I do... I really do."

Sharing another kiss, Nicole was convinced that she was well enough to go home, but with Waverly protesting about further testing, the couple waved to the still baffled Chrissy, and snuggled up against each other when they reached their secluded corner. Nicole was positive that even with the poison that killed her just a couple hours ago and the bruises to her chest, her day couldn't get any better with a sleeping Waverly leaning on her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost didn't want to write this chapter because it was the last one and didn't want to let go, but here you have it, I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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